ML25196A108
| ML25196A108 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 03/14/1978 |
| From: | Lawroski S Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards |
| To: | Hendrie J NRC/Chairman |
| References | |
| Download: ML25196A108 (1) | |
Text
.UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON REACTOR SAFEGUARDS WASHINGTON, D. C. 20555 Honorable Joseph M. Hendrie Chairman March 14, 1978 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Conmission Washington, DC 20555 SUBJEcr:
WESTINGHOUSE CRITICAL HEAT FLUX CORRELATION AND 'IHERMAL DESIGN PROCEDURE
Dear Dr. Hendrie:
During its 215th meeting, March 9-10, 1978, the Advisory Conmittee on Reactor Safeguards reviewed the changes being proposed for the Westing-house critical heat flux correlation and the accompanying thermal design procedure. These matters were first introduced in the review of the Donald C. Cook Nuclear Plaut Unit No. 2, and the Comnittee recommended in its December 21, 1977 report that a generic review be completed prior to implementation of this new thermal design analysis. The ECCS Sul::com-mittee met with the NRC Staff and with representatives of the Westing-house Electric Corporation, in Washington, DC, on February 16, 1978 to discuss the bases for the changes being proposed. The Cormnittee also had the benefit of the docwnents listed below.
The Corrmittee recognizes that the regulatory process must ne responsive to new data and new analyses and that a strengthened technical base may justify some relaxation in previously acknowledged conservative positions.
The Westinghouse proposals for a new critical heat flux correlation and for a new thermal design procedure are examples of such an approach.
The application of these proposals, which the Conmittee considers a generic matter, could lead to greater flexibility of plant operations and to higher power densities.
The Con:mittee concurs with the NRC Staff position, noting that a conserva-tive safety margin is still being retained.
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Honorable Joseph M. Hendrie 2 -
March 14, 1978 The Advisory Conmittee on Reactor Safeguards believes that, if due consid-eration is given to the conservatisms recommended by the NRC Staff, there is reasonable assurance that the Westinghouse critical heat flux correla-tion and the acconpanying thermal design procedure can be used as a regu-latory basis for evaluating nuclear power reactor operations without undue risk to the health and safety of the public.
REFERENCES:
Sincerely yours,
~t'~
Stephen Lawroski Chairman
- 1. Westinghouse Electric Corporation, "Improved Thermal Design Proce-dure," WCAP-8567, July 1975.
- 2. Westinghouse Electric Corporation, "New Westinghouse Correlation WRB-1 for Predicting Critical Heat Flux in Rod Bundles with Mixing Vane Grids," WCAP-8762, July 1976.
- 3. U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, "Draft of Safety Evaluation of the Westinghouse WRB-1 Critical Heat Flux Correlation," January 1978.
- 4. U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, "Draft of Safety Evaluation of the Westinghouse Improved Thermal Design Procedure," January 1978.
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